VOCAL HEALTH – IT’S NOT JUST FOR SINGERS!

- For ALL Tribute Artists and Look-alikes -

By: Carla DelVillaggio

Do you use your voice as part of your tribute act? Of course you do (unless you’re Charlie Chaplin!!)… But even if you’re not a singer, your voice is one of the most important tools of your trade. Other than your LOOK, your VOICE will be one of the biggest things that will make an impression – good or bad – on agents, clients, and members of your audience. Anyone in this business, regardless of whether or not they are a singing artist, must use their voice, and sometimes poor vocal health can cause a myriad of problems. Remember the old saying “forewarned is forearmed!”

Think about any of the MEET AND GREETS you may have done in the past. Its hour upon hour of speaking to guests, sometimes over the din of background music, sometimes in a smoky casino, or just dealing with the noise of other conversation around you. Sometimes you are already tired from a long flight, or have been sick with a cold, or you’re just dealing with the stresses of life. In the business of entertainment we have to be “ON” at all times, staying in character, continuing to have lots of energy and enthusiasm for every person with whom you speak. By the end of the evening your voice feels like “hamburger meat” (like it’s been through a grinder!!). You go back to your hotel room feeling vocally exhausted, and for the next day or more your voice isn’t quite right. What went wrong?

Think about it….do you sometimes suffer from...

· dry mouth due to stage fright or nervousness?

· throat dryness all day long?

· vocal fatigue and related discomfort?

· allergies? post nasal drip? reflux? Do you wake up with a sore throat?

· hoarse voice? losing your voice easily or often? The feeling of a “lump” in your throat?

· a decline in your vocal tone with age?

· chemotherapy side effects or medication side effects?

· READ ON……

Whose Voice is it Anyway?

Celebrity Tribute Artists, impersonators, actors and look-alikes have an added challenge of needing to SOUND like someone they are not! This can often cause vocal strain, jaw tension, tongue tension, tight throat and neck muscles, and ultimately vocal harm if done in the wrong way. “Acting”, (which is what we’re doing) requires voice skills that exceed those of the non-professional voice user. As an actor/performer/entertainer/IMPERSONATOR, you need to exemplify characters or roles by making them real and vivid for the audience. You may need to project the impression of another era, age, culture, dialect, speech patterns that are vastly different from your own, emotional compass, etc., you are literally ‘becoming” someone else whose voice may be entirely different from your own.

Good training will introduce basic vocal dynamics of pitch, volume, rate, and quality, including oral and nasal resonance and breath control in speech. Understanding about mastering voice projection techniques, gaining increased reliability in voice quality, and greater command of audience attention will enhance your performances and increase your vocal longevity!

See a Professional

For anyone in this very unique business, I strongly suggest seeking out an experienced vocal dialect coach who is educated in ways of acquiring an accent or speech pattern or dialect, and can show you how to do it without causing yourself any stress or harm. For those in the Orlando area, I can suggest Ginny Kopf. www.voiceandspeechtraining.com I have worked with Ginny on my “Streisand Brooklyn” dialect and I go back to her from time to time for touchups. Her new book The Dialect Handbook: Learning, Researching, and Performing a Dialect Role by Ginny Kopf, could be a terrific resource for many of you.

A technique that has been found to be exceedingly helpful to performer of all kinds, actors, musicians, singers and really anyone in general is the Alexander Technique. If you can find a licensed practitioner of this technique, it would be a great investment to take a couple of sessions with them. “The Alexander Technique (http://www.alexandertechnique.com/at.htm) is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. It is not a series of treatments or exercises, but rather a reeducation of the mind and body. The Alexander Technique is a method which helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension.”

What’s Up Doc?

The voice is sensitive to many different influences such as climate, environment, diet and lifestyle. A few simple measures can help keep your voice functioning well, and you can deal with minor problems as they arise. If you have persistent symptoms, you should always seek professional advice. If you live in the Orlando area, I can recommend a spectacular ENT, Dr. Jeffrey Lehman (407-422-4921) who is a voice specialist. In fact, the Orlando Opera used to refer their singers to him for evaluation when needed. I have sent many voice students there for evaluation and I myself am a patient of his. Dr. Lehman, and other doctors like him, can look at the larynx, vocal folds and esophagus, often using a camera, in order to diagnose any problems. A general practitioner is just that, and cannot fully diagnose any real vocal issues. Wherever you live, you can do the research and seek out a specialist for a consultation. Make sure to determine if they have worked with singers or professionals who use their voices a great deal in their career.

Proper Care and Feeding of Your Instrument

The following are some basics in good vocal hygiene. There are many factors that can affect vocal health, but this is a good place to start:

Clear tone - This fundamental of vocal health is commonly overlooked. You should endeavor to speak with a clear tone, that is to say a tone without breathiness. Now if you are “Marilyn Monroe” that would totally blow your act, right? But even you “Marilyns” can use your voice successfully without doing any damage. The rest of us who don’t need to speak like “Marilyn” shouldn’t sound breathy. A husky or overly breathy voice is one of the first indications that something is wrong. Apart from being very drying, it is also very inefficient voice production, as it places a lot of strain on the voice. If you cannot make a tone that is clear and free from breath, you should seek expert advice. As a singer, if you’re having trouble getting through long vocal phrases you are probably using your breath inefficiently.


Hydration - A well hydrated larynx is essential for healthy, sustainable voice use. You should endeavor to drink the usual recommended “8 glasses” of water a day. Depending on the weather and your level of physical activity, you may need more. Do be careful not to overdo it though – excessive intake of water can be potentially fatal. ****PLEASE NOTE: it is a fallacy that drinking water will immediately lubricate your vocal folds. It can take up to 24 hours for any water you drink to get into your system, and therefore into your voice, so make sure that you start early enough, and not immediately before you need to use your voice.

Avoid or limit beverages that are diuretic (water-expelling) in nature, including alcohol, caffeine, and many "diet formulas." Alcohol stays in the body a good 48 hours and causes the vocal folds to dry out. Save your partying until AFTER your performance!

Medication - Another factor in dryness of the vocal folds is often due to medications we may be taking. Talk to your doctor when you are prescribed something new (or do the research on anything you are currently taking). Will it have a drying effect on your vocal folds? If so, perhaps there is an alternate medication, or something additional you can take to counteract that effect. The medication “Humibid” or “Guaifenesin” is a good addition to any antihistamine you may have to take, as the Humibid puts some of the moisture back into your vocal folds, while the antihistamine dries you out! The best option, however, would be to try to avoid antihistamines a day or two prior to performing. Decongestants are culprits that will dry you out as well. Aspirin, NSAIDS and blood thinners may cause bleeding beneath the lining of the vocal folds, leading to prolonged hoarseness. Topical anesthetic sprays or lozenges cause loss of sensation in the larynx. Singing while using them is "like trying to play the piano while wearing gloves". Menthol and mints can be very irritating to the vocal folds and increase gastric acid. Progesterone-dominant birth control pills may cause irreversible virilization of the female larynx with a permanent loss of vocal range. Consult with your gynecologist about alternatives. Ladies – you may also want to limit the amount or intensity of your singing during your menstrual cycle, as your vocal folds will have edema (swelling) and will not vibrate in a normal fashion, sometimes causing hoarseness.

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Steaming - I highly recommend using a personal inhaler to breathe in steam, as it is excellent immediate or topical hydration for your vocal folds. I have known many performers to have one in their dressing rooms to use before and after a show. They are small and compact and can travel with you. If you don’t have one, you can also spend extra time in the shower or steam-room when your voice is tired or you are fighting a cold or other temporary irritation. Vick’s makes a very good personal steamer. http://www.amazon.com/Vicks-V1200-Personal-Steam-Inhaler/dp/B0000TN7MY


Posture - Good posture is another fundamental in healthy voice use. If the spine is out of alignment, so are the larynx and all the muscles that it relies on for support and movement. Its impact on healthy, sustainable voice use cannot be over stated. Learn to maintain a flexible, well-balanced neck posture to minimize tension around the larynx. Yoga and meditation are great ways to help your posture (and breathing) as well.

There is no way to put all there is to know about vocal technique into this small pamphlet, so I promise I won’t try. But I will try to give you some basics to think about, and hopefully you will search for a reputable voice teacher to assist you wherever you live.

*did you know that over 7.5 million people have diseases or disorders of the voice*

The photos above are of nice, healthy vocal folds. On the left side the folds are starting to come together in the act of vibrating, as they would when speaking or singing. On the right side you can see how they look when a breath is taken, and the folds are no longer vibrating or “phonating”. Women, your vocal folds are typically no larger than the circumference of a dime!!!! They are very tiny and delicate. Men, your vocal folds are only slightly larger than that. They can easily be damaged with misuse or abuse, sometimes irreparably.

Below are photos of damaged vocal folds with nodules (or polyps). You can see how those bumps would inhibit the vocal folds from vibrating accurately or effectively, and would let the voice sound very breathy, raspy or husky.

Following are a few helpful hints for good vocal technique:

1. Use your voice correctly.
A. Control your voice with breathing muscles of the ribcage, back, and abdomen, so that the vocal folds receive an efficient, controlled stream of air pressure.
B. Relax your tongue and expand your throat to create a generous resonating space, (think about YAWNING, it lifts your soft palate for space) then focus the tone into the front of your face for natural amplification. Those who sing with a more “Broadway belt” style, or pop style, will not utilize as much of the open-throated technique as others might. Be sure to work with the right kind of vocal coach who understands the style of singing you want to do.
C. Individual training is recommended for those who rely on their voices professionally.

2. Use your optimum pitch.
A. Speak and sing in a pitch range that fits your own vocal instrument. Pay attention to how you speak every day. Develop good habits so they become second nature.
B. If you want to increase your range, do so gradually, on a foundation of healthy technique.

3. Avoid inflammation.
A. Protect the lining of the respiratory tract by avoiding smoky, dusty, and chemically toxic environments.
B. Get help for respiratory allergies.
C. Don’t smoke. Don’t smoke. Don’t smoke. Did I mention Don’t Smoke?

4. Warm-up your voice regularly and properly.

Here's a basic routine that anyone can use

As you get ready for your gig, remember to warm up your voice properly. Just as any other muscle would be warmed up and stretched out before use, so too should be the voice. No athlete, dancer or singer would do ANYTHING without sufficiently warming up their muscles…actors and public speakers (and ALL of you look-alikes) should do the same thing. Though it may seem dramatic, warming up the voice is a simple process. To begin, simply stand up straight and tall to allow yourself to breathe deeply. Next, practice such breathing deeply, releasing your ribcage to allow the air to come in. Feel your lower back expanding. Maintaining an open ribcage while you sing and even while you speak will help SUPPORT your voice. You must support your speaking voice just as you would your singing voice!! Finally, begin singing gently and easily. You can hum a little bit, feeling the vibration of the HUM around your nose. You can sing a favorite tune, repeat the vowels or sing your way through a vocal scale. If you work with a professional instructor they can give you exercises that will be best for your own voice. The idea is to do this slowly and easily, to warm up those muscles before using them. NEVER PERFORM WITHOUT ADEQUATELY WARMING UP YOUR VOICE! At the end of the day perform a COOL DOWN of the voice with similar vocal tasks. Add additional warm-up time before performances or other demanding situations.